Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-07-16
MethOdiSni.

ME. ELITOR.-As many Of your
readers are members and friends of the
church we have Thought they would be
interest ed in The following, quoted from
Southern Methodist Review. MAY, 1857,
Rev. W. P. Harrison. D. D., editor,
Nashville, Tenn. VIII you, therefore,
lie kind enough to publish.
The year 1856 will be regarded rs
memorable year in the historyof Meth
odiSm in the Uuiled States. A revival
influence of unparalleled power pre-
vailed in the church. North and Snnth,
from Maine to California, from Balti-
more To the Rio Grande. The mem
hersllip Of the Methodist Epinopal
Church was increased by 100, All and
that Of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South, by rs 1888. amounting to It's $50
in the two churches. This is, indc ed,
worthy to bp called memorable year
for the ingathering OF souls. We re
juice in the prosperity of our brethren
i'll the North and congratulate our bretli-
rem in the South. But once before has
combined EpiscopalM ethodism recorded
so great triumph over The forces OF
evil IN this land. The retrospect is sug-
cestive In 1913 the year before the di-
vision of Meth0tlism in The United
States, there was Il general revival and
an ingatiiering of 154, 606 souls. We 10
not believe i'll omcns, and therefore will
not express the suggested thought.
But The past year forms III enoch. a
period with which we may safely com
pare the growth Of the church in the lust
fourteen years. In 1879 the Methodist
Episcopal Church numbered ministers
and members 1.4S0, 647 in 1856 the lig-
ureS were .2G5, an increase III four
teen years of 534 6lS. or SO. III per cent.
In 1872 the Methodist EPISCOPAL Church,
South, numbered 654 ,l59; in 1856 the
number was 1,0G6,377 an increase OF
412,2lS in fourteen years, or 63.Ol per
cent; excluding the small number OF
colored members in 1872 and 1856 alike,
the increase WAS GS.7g per cent. The
ratio of increase, it will be seen, is
largely in favor of the Southern Church.
The Northern Chur ch crossed over to
the million line in 1864, and has just
doubled her membership in twenty
two years. From tile midsummer Of
Of 1868 to The close of last year, The
Southern church has doubled her MEM
bersliip i'll a period little less than
eighteen years. 1t is doubtful if such
prosperity las been realized by any 9th
er branch of the christian church III
modern times. In Il single year the
Northern church has aided 5.24 per
cent. anu the Southern church $50 per
cent. to their membership. 1t is note
worthy, too, that the growth of these
churches, in each instance, was greatest
III those sections in which they were Ill
fullest accupd with tie general senti--
ments and opinions of tile people. We
Cali afford to congratulate the Southern
church OH her numerical growth. =
Southern Methodist Review, May. 1857.
The question naturally arises: TO
what shall we Iefer such rapid increase
i'll tile Southern church, Certainly lIol
to great wealth, for her people were re-
duced, by the late wal, to poverty, and
in many instances, to absolute want and
suffering. Not TO superior educational
advantages; for her institutions IF
learning were. without exception, Grip
pied, embarrassed, disorganized. Not
TO tile assumption that the Southern
people are naturally better, and -m0re
susceptible to divine aln pl esSioUs than
those of other sections of the country,
for they are all fallen and deprave,l
alike. To What then shall We refer her
extraordinary growth? Webelieve it is
owing more to this fact than to any
other one thing; that her ministers and
members have been true TO the dear old
gospel, ami carefully guarded against
blending it with politics, or amy other
question, foreign TO lis spirll and tc;lcli-
Ing. The gospel, the Whole gospel and
nothing but the gospel, has been her
m9tto. In this sign she has conquered
God las huEOied her simple faith III